Christian world

Turkey’s top religious body, the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), has published a translation of the Quran in Armenian.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency on May 6, Diyanet Director-General for Religious Publications Dr. Yüksel Salman said 4,000 copies of the Quran, translated into the western and eastern Armenian dialects, would be distributed to libraries and NGOs in Turkey for free. Its sale will begin later.

A ruined Hagia Sophia dating back to the 12th century in the western border province of Edirne will be renovated as a mosque, despite former statements made about the possibility of restoring it as a museum.

Following the conversion of two Hagia Sophia into museums, which were initially built as churches and then turned into mosques and, subsequently, museums, the third Hagia Sophia in Edirne’s Enez district will be reconverted into a mosque, according to Foundations General Director Adnan Ertem, despite previous debates on turning it into a museum after reconstruction.

On Tuesday 28 April 2015, the attorney of the Catholicosate of Cilicia in Turkey submitted a brief to the Constitutional Court in Turkey, requesting the return of its Centre in Sis (Kozan).

Convinced that recognition of the Genocide and compensation should go together, His Holiness Aram I, on the year of the 100th anniversary commemoration of the Armenian Genocide of 1915, has filed a lawsuit at the Turkish Constitutional Court for the return of the Spiritual Centre of the Catholicosate in Sis. In initiating this effort, His Holiness is setting a precedent for the descendants of the martyrs to reclaim their family belongings.

The 15th-century Armenian Apostolic church located in the old Christian quarter of Jdeydeh has been destroyed in bombings. Reports suggest that explosives were placed underneath the structure through some underground tunnels. This historic church was the center of the Armenian orthodox Community in Aleppo. The Church has a historic status

Armenian Catholic Cathedral Our Lady of Pity (also known as St. Rita), was partially bombed four months ago. In 2014, terrorists destroyed the Armenian Genocide Memorial Church in Der Zor, Syria as well.

Prior to the beginning of the Syrian Crisis in 2001, between 60,000-70,000 Armenians lived in Syria. The Armenian communities are often seen in places like Aleppo, Latakia, Homs, Qamishli, Hasakeh, Yaqubiye, Raqqa, Kessab, and Damascus.

The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Father Federico Lombardi, SJ, has confirmed that Pope Francis will visit Cuba ahead of his visit to the United States in September 2015.

In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, Father Lombardi said, "I am able to confirm that the Holy Father Francis, having received and accepted the invitation from the civil authorities and bishops of Cuba, has decided to pay a visit to the island before his arrival in the United States for the trip announced some time ago."

Turkey's Deputy Economy Minister Adnan Yildirim said Monday that Pope Francis will be welcome to visit his country's pavilion at Milan Expo 2015, which runs for six months and kicks off Friday. The pope's recent comments in which he described the mass killing of Armenians under Ottaman rule during World War I as genocide infuriated Turkey, with Ankara calling back its ambassador to the Holy See for consultations.